Walther von Reichenau

German field marshal (1884–1942)

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Lived 1884–1942, aged 58Germany

Germany Historical Figures

Wikipedia
44 languages
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Era
1884–1942
Aged 58
Awards
12
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

A German field marshal who issued orders explicitly encouraging his soldiers to murder Jewish civilians during the invasion of the Soviet Union — and whose troops assisted in the Babi Yar massacre of over 33,000 Jews in 1941.

Biography

About

Walther von Reichenau was born 8 October 1884 and rose to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall in Nazi Germany's army, earning the nickname "The Bull." He commanded the 6th Army through the invasions of Belgium and France, then led it into Ukraine as part of Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa. In 1941 he issued the Severity Order, a directive that explicitly encouraged German soldiers to murder Jewish civilians on the Eastern Front. His forces cooperated with SS Einsatzgruppen in committing the Babi Yar massacre and assisted with other crimes against humanity across occupied territory un…

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